The new “social
host law” went into effect on Tuesday, under which it is illegal to provide
minors a lace for them to drink alcohol, the Indiana Coalition to Reduce
Underage Drinking (ICRUD) is reminding Hoosiers.

It was already
illegal to provide alcohol to minors in the first place.

During the 2014
legislative session, ICRUD worked with legislators to pass the social host
law, which makes it a Class B misdemeanor for adults knowingly and
intentionally provide a place for minors to drink, ICRID noted in a
statement released this week.

“The offense
becomes a Class A misdemeanor if the person has a prior unrelated
conviction, and a Level 6 felony if the consumption, ingestion, or use of
the alcoholic beverage is the proximate cause of the serious bodily injury
or death of any person,” ICRUD said.

“This new law is a
great tool for law enforcement to use in their efforts to disperse and
disband underage drinking parties,” said ICRUD Director Lisa Hutcheson. “We
hope that parents and other adults understand the criminal and civil
liability of providing a place for minors to drink and will not become a
party to underage drinking.”

ICRUD, a subsidiary
of Mental Health America of Indiana, is an advocacy coalition, addressing
the availability and accessibility of alcohol to minors through education
and policy.